New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-02
"REMINISCENCES OF WAGNER
ANOTHER TALK WITH HERR SEIDL.

ANOTHER TALK WITH HEhR SElDL.
IRREGULARITIES OF THE GREAT CoMPosgR-THEC CON
DUCTOR TO SAIL TO-DAY.
Anton Seidl for two seasons musical conductor %
the Metropolitan Opera House, will sail for Germany
at 10 a. m to-day on the North German Lloyd steamer
saale, to enter upon his duties conductor at the
Court Opera in Berlin. Last night he gave his last
concert at Steinway Hall. During the day at his
lodgings in West Thirty -eghth-st, In the artists
room at the hall IN the evening" for hours after the
concert he kept busy saying farewell to the host
OF friends aud admirers that he leaves behind him.
To TRIBUNE reporter who called on him ct noon he
said:
.That leave this country with regret YOU NAV
well believe. My enthusiasm has been stirred by the
quick appreciation that the public here have shown
for Wagners works. and by the love for other classic
operas which has sprung from that appreciation.
have great hopes for the musical future of America.
The time will come when musical affairs here will
have the sane stability that the' now have In Ger
many The music-oving peOple a.e fast reaching that
point of view from which they will demand only the
good and true in art Whoever cultiyates good and
true music will always find support do not sur
render the hope, sooner later. to return this
country. At present am bound to Berlin but hope,
if ever do return. tv find the public as willing to re-
ceive and support me as they have been during the
last two years. FOR my friends leave sincere and
hearty farewells and | hope that thu possible
wiedersehn will be agreeable to them as to me-
Interrupted bv several friendly and business calls,
Herr Scidl IN complains wit the reporters request
that he might continue the "Reminiscences of Wagner
instslment of which proved to be 80 Interesting and
instructive feature OF last Sundays TRIBUNE spoke
further a. follows:
al would like to add few anecdotes which ius-
trate Wsgner's traits ms conductor On the occasion
OF his Berlin concerts In 1878, when he performed
fragments from Die Gotterdarnmerung tor the first
time in hat CITY, very short time was allowed tor the
and Vas found necessary to call re-
hearsal tor religions holiday on which no Berlin
musician had ever been known to touch his instru-
ment The men seemed doubtful. Wagner said
Gentlemen. then will return home At once there
| for
harpst Was fellow who was always in financial
straits. On the day OF the general rehearsal he had
been obliged surrender his harp to officer OF the
law. Now he sat at home in hi- dismsntled room and
waited for something TO turn up. Wagner paid bis
debts redeemed the harp and IN the evening the harp
ist sat in his place and took part in the concert
Incidents like this might be multipl ed by the
hundreds. Whenever went concert trips OF
visits to friends bis presence always celebrated
with serenades. morning concerts. parades or BAN
quets The most divertiug intermezz generally hap
pened 10 the conductors OF military ban for Wagner
was generally honored with performances OF his own
music, with The tempt MI taken wrong. A few years
ago he lodged time with his family in hotel
Ia Dresden. vis-a-vs to the Hoftheatre The Flving
Dutchman was in rehearsal one morning and Wagner
seated at his window heard the chorus at practice lie
messenger With the request that at night
the choruses be sung IN tempt directly opposite 70
those taken at the rehearsal Then. he said, they
would be correct. .
.At another time while he was eating at the table
dhote a very good military band sereDaded him and
played among other thinss. the overture to Der
Freischutz' Wagner endured 1t as long as possible.
then Jumped through the window in his haste to make
an end OF the torture and rushed up to the leader
Where did you get that tempoP he asked. I've
ALWAYS heard the opera rejoned the leader.
Well then listen to me- said Wagner and start
ing the band again he conducted it through the
overture
In Hamburg Cologne, in fact wherever he went,
he was the recipient these irritating attentions In
Berlin the late Professor Stern performed the Faust
overture in his honor The public applauded vlgor.
onsly. but Waener went TO the conductors desk,
picked up the baton and begged the musicians IL re-
peat the overture under his direction. The public
scarcely recognized the work the they had
| listened to a moment before
When he had completed the prelude to Psrsisal'
he performed 1t with orchestra called tor the pur-
pose from Meiningen for the pleasure OF his wire.
Bavaria hearing OF thi-, called him to Munich and
asked tor q performance there for his benefit Wag-
acceded to the wish OF his great patron TIE King
came from his mountain castle and afternoon tue
theatre was locked up. the audience room darkened.
the King SAT in his box and Wagner rehears"d the pre-
indie which had already been studied by the orcbesT n
musicians spoke with enthusiasm ut the tremendous
effect which his conducting had on the simple piece
of music Alter his career as Hofkapemeister at
Dresden he seldom conducted entire oleras: lie
anxously avoided the intense excitement which such
work entails. In the spring OF 1875 he vent to
Vienna and conducted the performance OF Lohengrin
without excisions the benefit of the Pension Fund
OF the Hottheatre The delight OF the public
thusastc the newspapers Tc,e unanimous IN the the
opinion that the sixty old Wagner surpassed the
thirty old conductors in youthful freshness vg0r
and endurance. Even his greatest opponent, Edward
|
about his conducting.
| Wagner was not only poet and composer. but
man who full kindly feeling tor and beasts,
Notwithstanding that his colossal mental work made
him subject to nervous attacks which showed them
selves in quick temper ad rudeness. To see an aui-
nal tortured would throw him into rage. This SYM
pathetic trait Is OF great significance in estimate OF
the mans CHARACTER lie had great production LOT
fine large dogs. Already in Paris when he scarcely
had enough food himself, he kent line big black
| dog and gave occasion to much curiosity and many
witticsms about the young German musician with his
big dog The intimate friends OF his later Yeats all
knew BIZ Russ who had been his faithful companion
during his sojourns in Switzerland and Munich. Russ
died ia Bayreuth and Wagner had him buried IN his
| garden, and handsome monument reared over his
grave. The master a warm sympathi er With and
admire OF the Society tor the Prevention Ut Cruelty
| to Animals, which few years ago was or<aDized in
Germany He became public advocate OF the society
When about to start for Berlin to conduct the
| c minor symphony, OF whose performance have
already spoken, of the officials sud notables OF
| Bayreuth accompanied him to the station. II was
market day. which many people trsm the neigh5or-
| ing villages come to Ba, reuth to make purchases.
While Wagner was slking up and down the station
platform with the Burgomeister and others he saw on
| a table basket covered with cloth. movement
of the cloth attracted Wagners attention lie stopped
IN his walk and asked pastors vile, who sat beside
the basket what the latter contained. She answered
a fish, Wagner pulled Of the cloth and there lay
gasping struggling fish, Almost beside himself with
rare, tell TO upbraidng the oman Tor Der crue
to the animal and then called wildly tor knife to Kill
II and release Ii from its sufeIings The incident
threw him INTO such state OF excitement thst he
could not board the train and had TO postpone the
| journey till next day. n..,, $500
At the last perform Of Parsifal in 1882,
Wagner conducted the last scene OF the tnird act
Son after he went to Venice and there in the hall OF
the Conservatorio he conducted performance OF his
youthful symphony composed 10 1882. lhe work had
been heard in Lepsic FEW times shortly after 1t was
CONFESSED Fifty years ter, Wagner, II under the
influence of premonition OF his approaching death,
performed again to give his wife last pleasue Q:
He wrote to i then travelling In Holland AID
| Relgjum as &C ndcctor OF Neumann's Richard Wag.
ner Theatre asking to get leave OF absence Tor
at least week and come to Venice to conduct the
fo endure such an eAertion. Herr Neumann thought
the furlough would endanger the undertaking IN
which we werc embarked. Dad so ! lost the iast
rehearsais him ,ei aud the performance. which took
place in the presence of his we and CIV friends on
| the second Christmas day 1857. when he had con.
clnded ne laid down the baton and whispersd with
pailid checks; Nun babe lob Gum letzten MAJ Ma,